Mainstream environmentalists probably want this, just like mainstream labor unions mostly want leftists to shut up and support Obama. Does not mean that leftists (including socialists) should not support labor and environmental causes. Doing what it really would take to solve the climate crisis would strengthen workers right, which makes environmental demands a legitimate part of any workers movement, with no need to shove other demands aside - real as opposed to phony environmental demands complement rather than compete with other demands for workers rights, just like women's rights, GLBT, disability rights, rights for racial and ethnic minorities and so on are part of any working class movement
For example, one key environmental demand is massive public investment in efficiency, wind power and solar power. I would say that if you don't demand these things you are not pushing something absolutely required to solve the a variety of environmental crisis. But where would the money come from? Well we demand cutting the military budget by about 80%, and the rich nations could stop pushing the rest of the world around We could demand massively raising taxes on the rich. We could demand a Tobin tax, and an end to corporate subsidies. These cuts in the military and subsidies for the rich and increases in taxes on the rich are too big to get any traction for environmental purposes. But if environmentalists were to act in solidarity with other groups with these demands they could ask support in return - especially since as I said the public investment would increase demand for labor and strengthen the power of labor over capital. Also there are huge immediate health benefits from power coming from sources that don't cause air pollution. That benefits everyone and the majority of everyone are the working classes in the rich nations and the working and peasant classes in the poor ones.
Now of course public investment is only one thing that needs to be done for environmental reasons. But this email is already longer than many will read all the way through, so I'll say the same analysis applies to most of them. Stuff that needs to be done for environmental reasons is also stuff that will benefit working people. There is no conflict between at least some kinds of environmentalism and working class movements, and I would argue that the types of environmentalism for which this is not true are not effective ways to tackle the environmental challenges we face. Support a strawberry revolution - one that is red and green. Oh and for those who want to read more on this, some shameless self-promotion. My book "Solving the Climate Crisis" is now available for preorder. The web site for the book is stcc.be . Or you can preorder through the large evil on-line bookseller of your choice.
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